There was a wide range of opinions on what this game would look like on the field, with most seeming to favor a robust victory for the Wisconsin Badgers over the Miami (OH) RedHawks.
But the Badger transfer quarterback injury curse reared its ugly head at Camp Randall on Thursday night and threw things into relative chaos. I’ll try to bake Billy Edwards Jr. getting hurt into this grading process a bit, but it won’t be a free pass for a generally underwhelming offensive performance.
OFFENSE
It’s easy
to imagine a scenario where an Edwards helmed unit wears down the Redhawks and walks out with a four-score win, but the reality is that, into the second quarter, the offense looked functional, not dangerous.
In Jeff Grimes’ defense, that was very common under Paul Chryst, even the ones with really good offenses. The second half is often where this style of attack shows out. But, Edwards went down, Danny O’Neil came in, and things were markedly up and down after that.
Positives: This resembles a traditional Wisconsin offense again. You can see Grimes’ plan coming into focus, and that’s very heartening. The running backs, especially Dilin Jones, very much looked the part, and O’Neil showed enough moxie to allow one to rest easy-ish knowing he’ll be starting games for a while.
There were also moments from the wide receiver and tight end rooms that flashed potential, and I liked what I saw from Grant Stec (94.8 PFF grade) and Chris Brooks, two dudes that weren’t on many Badger Bingo cards a week ago. The quick passing game looked, ironically, better than under Longo. Trech Kekahuna is going to be a valuable weapon in 2025.
Negatives: Left tackle is a problem, and I don’t think Luke Fickell, in good conscience, can roll with Davis Heinzen going forward.
That doesn’t mean the kid doesn’t work hard or can’t get better, but if that had been a Top-25 defensive unit, he might have given up double-digit sacks. This will be the biggest challenge of the week, since Leyton Nelson, the next man up at LT, is better in pass protection but isn’t the run blocker Heinzen is.
The lack of a Badger downfield passing attack against a relatively soft Miami defense was also suboptimal. I no longer subscribe to the “they were saving their cool plays for later games” bit. The offense will have to be more explosive, even with O’Neil, or the run game will get bottled up.
GRADE: C+
DEFENSE
A lot was made of the transfers coming in for the Badgers, especially along the defensive line, and game one showed some very positive early returns. Pitching a shutout against a former All-MAC quarterback is impressive, and giving up only 117 yards (34 rushing)–the squad’s best effort since 2017–was a bold statement.
Positives: It’s one game, but there didn’t appear to be an obvious weakness in this unit. In 2024, there were glaring issues, and those look to be gone or at least improved upon. A bigger, stouter defensive line made it nearly impossible for the Redhawks to run, and a solid pass rush (the three sacks were almost 25% of last season’s total) bode well for the stiffer tests to come.
Mason Reiger is going to be a problem for opponents this fall. While the Badgers will face better passing attacks, I loved how they locked down Miami quarterback Dequan Finn. Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Preston Zachman (94.0 PFF grade) was a heat-seeking missile, and it’s possible that safety becomes a strength in this defense. (NOTE: Adding Nyzier Fourqurean would obviously help the secondary, but counting on him playing is probably a mistake.)
Negatives: Honestly, there weren’t many. Yes, you’d like to have more sacks than your MAC opponent, but a porous offensive line wasn’t Mike Tressel’s fault. I’m very interested to see this unit perform against a better offense, and Alabama will provide a stiff test in two weeks.
GRADE: A
SPECIAL TEAMS
This was one to watch, given that the kicker battle waged until the end of camp, but, oddly, punting was the lowlight of the evening.
Positives: Nathaniel Vakos nailing a 42-yard FG with plenty of room to spare was a nice opening salvo. Having a reliable leg would be a massive boost for the Badgers, but I’m not sure why Vakos wasn’t given a chance from 54 yards out on a later drive. Punting from the opponent’s 37 was a common Paul Chryst meme.
Negatives: Atticus Bertrams was probably Wisconsin’s most steady performer in 2024, so a lot is expected of him this season, but opening night was not kind to the Aussie, averaging only 38 yards a punt with a sub-31 net. That said, this will probably be his worst game of the season, as he’s a talented dude.
GRADE: B-
COACHING
Between the chaos of losing Edwards, to playing a middling opponent, it’s a bit hard to get a read on the staff’s evening, but the overall vibes were pretty good.
Positives: The traditional Badger offense is back, or at least on the way. It’s not hard to imagine this unit improving as the season goes on, but the offensive line issues will be a huge factor in how good it will be. The defense was very well-prepared and generally manhandled an inferior opponent. There was a nice mix of blitzes, and I’m really excited to see Zachman and Reiger continue to be unleashed by Tressel.
Negatives: There were a few head scratchers, including the already-noted decision punt with a big-legged kicker available for a long field goal, and also going for it on fourth down when Vakos was well in range. These are a bit nitpicky, but there were audible groans in the stadium when the punt unit was brought on with the Badgers on Miami’s 37 and for good reason.
GRADE: B
OVERALL
A 17-point win over a top-table MAC team in a game where your starting quarterback goes down early in the second quarter seems like a solid result.
While it was far from perfect, this game gave tantalizing glimpses into the Badgers’ upgraded talent, system, and culture. As I noted on X, had the score been 34-17, more fans would have been excited about it, which I find kind of funny.
Going forward, I’d like to see Edwards, Jr. back as soon as possible (sources say this won’t be a long-term injury), but I feel better about O’Neil starting than I did about Locke in 2024. Low bar, yes, but very important.
GRADE: B
